It is the 12th Annual Go Red for Women event today. Thank you for wearing red today!!
Heart disease is now the Number One killer of women in the U.S. and by bringing awareness to the symptoms and what you can do about it is saving lives!! Unfortunately, I have a personal story:
I had just turned 20 years old and recently married. I was sitting on the couch, eating green beans. (Yes, I remember this incident that clearly and soon, you’ll find out why.) I had been bothered by a pain in my left shoulder for most of the day and told my new husband that I didn’t feel right. I must have not looked right either because he immediately said that we were going to the Emergency Room. I did not want to go. I felt fine except for this odd pain in my shoulder and an overall feeling of blah….. He was adamant and we went to the hospital.
When we got there, I told them about my symptoms and they immediately took me in. Now I know that if you want to go to the front of the line in the Emergency Room, tell them you’re having shoulder or chest pain! You’ll get right in. Anyway, before you know it, my primary doctor was there and they were talking about admitting me to ICU! What?! ICU?! What were they talking about?! What the heck was going on?
They had done an EKG, an X-ray and some other tests and found that my heart looked enlarged. Not good. It could have gone one of two ways: The first way meant that I had to have a heart transplant. Luckily, it was diagnosed as the other way. A condition called Pericarditis which is the sac that holds your heart, called the pericardium, is swollen. So, thank God Himself, it was not the heart itself that was enlarged. Pericarditis is caused by a virus, it’s like my heart got a cold.
They decided to admit me to a regular room for about 5 days for observation until the virus went away. I felt pretty normal the entire time.
I am perfectly healthy today, but that incident scared the heck out of me. To think that I was 20 years old and in the hospital for a heart condition was unbelievable to me. As it turns out, pericarditis affects women in their early 20’s. WHO KNEW!??? Especially in 1986. When I talk about it, I get ghost pains. I really thought that I was going to die.
If you have a story that you will share, please consider doing so. It may save someone’s life!
Just email mainegoesred@heart.org and tell us your story. In addition to potentially saving someone’s life, you’ll have a chance to attend the Go Red For Women lunch on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 if you are selected to be part of a special video that will be unveiled at the event!
Look forward to your email!
Sarah
